Series Features Special Theme Song Written and Performed by the Late David Bowie;
Episodes Available for Next-day Download (Beginning Thurs., Apr. 14)
on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, and other platforms;
DVD/Blu-ray release on May 31st
“Bold, smart, and seductive” – Guardian
“A thrilling reinvention of the heist genre” – The Independent
“Coolly compelling, utterly enthralling”– The Telegraph
“Classy cross-continental heist thriller” – The List
“Grippingly cinematic” – Vodzilla “Brilliant”- NME.com
*Trailer and Clip of the initial jewelry store heist
Silver Spring, MD, April 7, 2016 – Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand that specializes in curating and distributing the best of British television in North America, has acquired the electronic-sell-through (EST) and home video rights in North America to The Last Panthers from Sky Vision. Delivering an intense script with thrilling action scenes, the exhilarating new crime drama is based on true events involving notorious Balkan jewel thieves, the Pink Panthers. Directed by Johan Renck (Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead), The Last Panthers is comprised of an all-star international cast including Oscar® nominee Samantha Morton (Jane Eyre, Minority Report,In America), Oscar® nominee John Hurt (Harry Potter films, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,The Elephant Man), Tahar Rahim (Day of the Falcon), and Goran Bogdan (Number 55). The critically-acclaimed six-part series also features the theme song “Blackstar,” written and performed by David Bowie especially for the series. It will make its U.S. premiere on Sundance beginning Wednesday, April 13 with next-day availability to buy digitally on Thursday, April 14 via multiple platforms including iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, Xbox Video, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. RLJ Entertainment’s Acorn brand will also release The Last Panthers on DVD and Blu-ray on May 31, 2016.
A daring diamond heist in the south of France bears the hallmarks of the supposedly retired “Pink Panthers,” a gang famed for their bold daylight raids and movie-style getaways. It seems like the perfect crime—until a young girl is killed in their escape. This sets a British insurance-loss adjuster (Oscar® nominee Samantha Morton), a former MI-6 officer (Oscar® nominee John Hurt), a French-Algerian cop (Tahar Rahim), and a Serbian soldier-turned-thief (Goran Bogdan) on a dangerous collision course across Europe. What starts with diamonds leads to guns, drugs, high finance, and corruption at the heights of power.
Shot in seven countries and five languages, this "thrilling reinvention of the heist drama" (The Independent) was inspired by the real-life Pink Panthers, who terrorized Europe’s jewelers for a decade.
The 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray release on May 31, 2016 will include a bonus behind-the-scenes featurette ($39.99 each).
Called the “chief curators of the best Brit TV” by TIME magazine, RLJ Entertainment’s Acorn brand holds exclusive North American distribution rights to many of the top British and international programs, which are available for broadcast television, digital download, digital streaming via Acorn TV, and in lavishly packaged DVDs/Blu-rays.
RLJE/Acorn Press Contact: Chad Campbell, 301.830.6203, ccampbell@RLJEntertainment.com
About RLJ Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is an entertainment content distribution company in primarily North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. RLJE’s titles are distributed in multiple formats including broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, and digital streaming.
With its popular OTT branded channels, Acorn TV (British TV) and UMC (Urban Movie Channel), RLJE targets distinct, premium audiences and Urban niche audiences. The company grows its proprietary digital channels through development, acquisition, and distribution of exclusive rights of program franchises and feature film content.
Through Acorn Media Enterprises, its UK development arm, RLJE owns all rights to the hit UK mystery series Foyle’s War and is developing new programs. RLJE owns 64% of Agatha Christie Limited, which manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. Through its proprietary e-commerce web sites for the Acorn brand in North America and the UK, the company also has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers.
For more information, please visit RLJEntertainment.com, Acorn.TV, and UrbanMovieChannel.com.
